Friday, December 09, 2005

1) My homebrew. I don't have any clever names for my homebrew, because that's just weird. It's an American Pale Ale, and has all the trappings thereof: hoppy nose, pretty floral, maybe a little grassy. Big hops bite up front, followed by an immediate mellowing by sweet malt (I used 6 poiunds of it in the brewing process afterall). Finishes clean, but after about 2/3 of the glass, it got just a tad "tinny." Not bad, if I do say so myself, which I do. 7/10.

2) Brouwerij Lindeman's Framboise Lambic. Raspberry beer. It pours rose red with a pink head, and has no discernable taste of malt or hops. It's all raspberry, folks, which is exactly what a framboise lambic should be (framboise being French for raspberry...). It was tart, but not heavy or syrupy. Very drinkable; it drank like champagne. Interesting, and worth a try. 8/10.

3) Sam Adams Black Lager. This is outstanding. Poured into the glass black as coffee, with a brown head that dissipated quickly. Smelled spicy, with slight chocolate and coffee. Tasted big coffee, chocolate undertones and a sweet malt. This is a great winter beer, though just a tad thin. No hoppy bitterness at all, so people who like sweeter beers will enjoy this solid offering from the Brewer and Patriot. 8/10.

4) Bell's Batch 7000. Holy moley. This beer is amazing. I could offer this beer in slices instead of in a glass. Thick and chewey. It poured midnight black on a cloudy night with no lights black. I smelled coffee and currants, with a little chocolate. The taste was an explosion. Just incredible. Coarse coffee, like Espresso, with a slight bakers/bitter chocolate taste that combines to yield a really heavy molasses taste; that really bitter molasses you use to make cookies, that turns out sweet and thick in the end...that kind of molasses. This was a huge-bodied beer that they'll only brew this once, so when it's out, it's gone forever. 9/10. No, screw it. 10/10.

5) Michigan Brewing Company Superior Stout. Smells of roasted coffee mixed with either dark chocolate or bakers chocolate. I tasted the roasted coffee up front that mellowed to a buttery taste. I really like that about this beer - the buttery taste at the end. Floral hops throughout. 7/10.

6) Bell's Two Hearted Ale. This is the Bells version of IPA. Pours a huge head, with massive, piney hops nose and flavor. Easy on the malt, but it's a hops-lover's hoppy IPA. Hippety hop. 8/10.

7) Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. First and foremost, lots of grapefruit on the nose and taste, with piney hops throughout. The hops linger, giving it a nice, full taste. There was a hint of something like coriander in it too. I just can't get over the grapefruit. Great holiday offering. 8/10.

8) Founders Breakfast Stout. Why breakfast? Coffee. Giant coffee aroma, hugely roasty, very similar to a can of Folgers with hints of prune and nut, toffee and chocolate. Real coffeehouse mocha cappuchino, chocolate syrup, with a dryer, cocoa powder bittersweetness easing into the finish. Complex, but quite delicate and smooth. 9/10.

9) Dogfish Head Raison D'extra. 20% ABV. Beer meets wine. This is a sweet malt-bomb. Raisins, currants, plums, brown sugar. Heavy and slippery on the tongue. They brewed this beer with loads of raisins in the end. Really interesting, quite heavy. I could only do 1 in a sitting. 7/10, because it's so...different.

10) Michigan Brewing Company/Celis Grand Cru. This is a great example of a "double wit." This tastes heavy on the citrus and spices, like a good Belgian should. Crispy beer, with bubbles as violent as champagne. Yeasty notes with the appropriate fruit/banana esthers. Solid beer from a brewery that started more than 50 years ago in Belgium, the exact recipe of which has now made its way to Texas and finally rests with the Michigan Brewing Company, of all places. 7/10.